YASMINE
Yasmine ushered the kids to the waiting hovercar half an hour later. It was a monster of a craft, nearly twice as long as any she’d been in before. It made her think more of something a holo-star would take to a big premiere than the family vehicle you used to take the kids to school.
Jax had hardly eaten anything, and Pia was still dressed like she was going to three different costume balls, but everyone was awake, clean, and relatively cheerful. For a first day, it felt like a win.
The only downside was the tense feeling she got from the security team.
While they were super nice with the kids, the big Bergalian and Maltaffian men were still armed to the teeth and constantly sweeping their surroundings, as if villains were about to appear in the parking garage and attack.
Yasmine wasn’t a fool. She knew the Ruler’s children had to be protected at all costs. It was the proximity of those blasters, and the damage they could do that haunted her.
“Ready for an awesome day?” the Bergalian asked Pia, holding out his big furry fist.
“You know it, Thomm,” she yelled back, giving him a fist bump.
“Whoa,” he groaned, pulling back his fist and shaking it like she was so super strong that she might have broken it.
Pia laughed so hard she snorted a little as she crawled into the backseat.
“Mr. Ajax,” Thomm said solemnly to Jax.
Jax nodded in a very manly way and got in.
“Hi there,” she said. “I’m Yasmine.”
Of course, based on the security checks, they would already know who she was, and probably where she had been born, how many times she had been absent from school, and her shoe size, but manners still mattered.
“Thomm,” the man said, bowing his head. “And this is Astyr.”
The burly Maltaffian bowed his head as well.
“Our driver is Pesh,” Astyr said, indicating the Ardoovian form in the front of the limo.
“Nice to meet you all,” Yasmine said. “And thanks for the ride.”
She climbed in and the two guards followed.
Pesh started the hovercar, which hummed and shivered as it lifted.
“We’re going to be early,” Jax said sadly, gazing out the window.
“Does that mean more time to hang out with your friends?” Yasmine asked hopefully.
He only rolled his eyes.
Interesting.
She thought about the fact that he had shoved someone yesterday and wondered if he was being bullied. Just the idea of it had fury humming in her blood.
“We’re going to see the forest,” Pia said excitedly, tugging on Yasmine’s sleeve.
“Oh, that sounds great,” Yasmine told her.
“But we’re only up high for a few minutes,” Pia said sadly. “So you have to pay attention, or you’ll miss it.”
“Okay, I’m watching,” Yasmine assured her.
Pia’s little hand slipped right into hers and squeezed, and Yasmine felt a little twinge of joy at the connection she seemed to be making with the little one.